Ouch: Pay Yourself Back categories changing 10/1

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We had previously reported that Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature would be extended through at least the end of the year but that it wasn’t clear whether the categories would stay the same or change. Unfortunately, we now know that grocery and home improvement are not listed as categories beginning on 10/1/21. If you were planning to redeem against grocery or home improvement categories, make your redemption before the clock strikes midnight.

a screenshot of a phone

I say before the clock strikes midnight, but we don’t know for sure what time the changeover will happen. I’d recommend logging in to redeem sooner rather than later if you are interested in redeeming points via the old categories.

I’m not 100% sure of the way this works, but my read is that you can only redeem against the current categories (including grocery and home improvement) through today (9/30/21). Starting tomorrow, you’ll only be able to redeem against the new categories. In other words, going to the grocery or home improvement store tonight won’t do you any good since the purchases will not finish posting today and you therefore will not yet be able to redeem points. At least, that’s what I think since the way things are worded say you can redeem for the current categories through through 9/30/21. Hopefully you already made any purchases you intended to make.

I expect that starting tomorrow, you will be able to redeem against any Airbnb or Away Travel purchases you have made in the previous 90 days. Guess we’ll see.

Beginning on 10/1, here will be the new categories:

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve: redeem at 1.5c per point toward Airbnb, Away, and dining purchases through 3/31/22
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: redeem at 1.25c per point toward Airbnb and Away purchases through 3/1/22

The Sapphire Preferred notably loses the dining category and both lose grocery and home improvement stores. Both cards lose the valuable grocery and home improvement categories.

You can see these new changes reflected here for the Sapphire Reserve and here for the Sapphire Preferred.

H/T: Doctor of Credit

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Larry

With the new chase pay yourself back categories is the reserve annual fee included still?

Oliver

This is a big devaluation.

Matthew

I pulled the trigger and cashed out about 70k at 1.25 cpp since I only have CSP in my family now. I felt so dirty about it, but we all have too much UR. I did go big on 1.5 cpp groceries when we still have a CSR. RIP pay yourself back grocery.

ActualMichael

If you’ve got too many UR, sounds like you need to take a vacation to one of Hyatt’s luxury properties.

Dima

Hm, you ‘missed-out’ on $175. Don’ know about other cards / timing, but could have been worth bumping another UR earning card to CSR for the cash-out and downgrading back in a year.

Ben

I spotted today that I could use Pay Yourself Back against the $550 annual fee, which I did, and was nice.

Charles Fastner

What is an “away purchase”

Matthew

awaytravel.com

Frank

All my eligible purchases, including dining from the past week, showed “0” days left to redeem when I logged in to my Sapphire Reserve account today. Are you sure the whole “pay yourself back” program is going to continue post 9/30?

Drew

Strange!

Last edited 3 years ago by Drew
Spider 2

Yes, I saw 0 also but was able to still cash out some points against Q3 categories of home improvement and restaurants. A CSR anniversary summary packet sent to me a couple weeks ago spoke of category changes coming up for Q4. Unfortunately as we’ve seen now, they’re not terribly exciting for many people I presume.

tro

It sounds like you only had available redemptions for the categories that were going away. That’s why there were 0 days left.

Frank

No, they were almost all dining purchases, which I understand is one of the categories that is still available. Perhaps Chase was just planning on re-setting everything in anticipation of 10/1 and then reinstating them, but I can’t tell if that’s the case since I cashed them all out yesterday just to be sure.